Ex-Cup champion Stewart understands losing regular season points lead part of Chase racing

Stewart doesn’t feel bad about losing points lead

DOVER, Del. — Tony Stewart understands losing his regular-season points lead is part of Chase racing. He’s just puzzled why so many critics want to change the points system.

“The system is a simple system,” Stewart said on Friday. “It is easy to understand, it doesn’t need to be complicated by trying to throw more numbers in there to confuse the fans.”

Stewart’s lead after the first 26 races was wiped out before the first Chase for the championship race last week at New Hampshire. He finished 14th and is in sixth place entering Sunday’s race at Dover International Speedway.

The two-time Cup champion said last week a $1 million bonus should be awarded to the points leader at the end of the first 26 races.

That’s about all he would change of the format that resets the points over the final 10 races to decide the champion.

“We are all going to have the same amount of points, plus whatever race wins we have. We are going to get 10 extra bonus points for those. It’s easy to understand,” Stewart said. “Everybody knows it going in to it. There is no frustration because you know that going in to it.”

Mark Martin started the Chase with a 10-point cushion over Stewart and Jimmie Johnson because of his series-high four wins this year.

“I don’t care if I was leading by a thousand points, it’s not frustrating to lose those points,” Stewart said.

Stewart also said on Friday he’s not talked with IRL star Danica Patrick since a report Friday said she had decided to remain at Andretti Green Racing and stay in the IndyCar Series. The two drivers had previously talked about what it would take for Patrick to make the switch to NASCAR.

Stewart qualified 22nd for Sunday’s race. He has two career victories at Dover and was second this season in the May race.

Three-time defending Cup champion Jimmie Johnson said the regular-season leader should be recognized in some way. He’s just not sure how it should affect the Chase.

“I guess you could spread the points out and change the seeding process,” he said. “But at the start of the season, we all knew what it was and signed up for it and knew it was coming.”